Page 24 - Eclipse - Autumn/Winter 2024

Flying hippos

A The researchers also sourced video
study from the RVC into
footage from the internet of hippos
the movement and gaits of
moving, providing a broader range of
hippopotamuses on land
has found that, while they
to those in captivity.
almost exclusively trot, the fastest behaviours and movements compared
moving hippos become airborne In total, this dataset comprised
for significant periods of time.
169 cycles of locomotion from
This research will improve scientific 32 individual hippos.
understanding of how the size of large Analysing the data, the researchers
animals influences their movement, found that from a biomechanics
support the reconstruction of the perspective, hippos almost exclusively
evolutionary biomechanics of hippo trot – even when slowly walking or
lineages and help veterinarians diagnose quickly running. This is unusual for land
or monitor hippos that have problems animals, which tend to have a wider
moving or are experiencing lameness.
repertoire of gaits. For example, rhinos
To conduct this research, which was led can use a standard quadrupedal walk,
by John Hutchinson, Professor of trotting and galloping as they increase
Evolutionary Biomechanics, and RVC speed much like a horse. Additionally, the
Alumna Emily Pringle (BVetMed 2023), analysis of the video footage revealed,
the team collected video footage from for the first time, that the fastest moving
Flamingo Land Resort in Yorkshire. This hippos become airborne, sometimes for
footage revealed how two hippos moved significant periods (about 15 percent of
in their paddock during the day. the stride cycle, or 0.3 seconds). John Hutchinson, Professor
of Evolutionary Biomechanics

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